Failure is a word that most people would rather not be associated with. However, history has taught that often the most spectacular advancements in human endeavors have been brought about through a path that was littered with a series of failures. It may seem trite to point out that failure is indeed a vital part of the success process. However obvious this point may seem; the refusal to or fear of implementing ideas for fear of not succeeding is prevalent among the female population.
Tied
to the fear of failure is the lack of self-confidence in women, who in essence
lack self-confidence in their entrepreneurial abilities. While women have a
barrage of ideas that could solidify into worthy businesses; ideas alone do not
make a successful entrepreneur. Key attributes of an entrepreneur include self-
belief, passion, and risk-taking. Shobhit Seth in 10 Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs stated that
entrepreneurs have a firm belief in their abilities, often accompanied by
doggedness in the materialisation of their ideas. These are essential in the face of possible
failure.
In
the book Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg
pointed out that self-doubt can contribute towards preventing women from
achieving their career potential. This is unfortunate, as an increase in the
empowerment of female entrepreneurs and in essence business is a key driver in
economic growth and development. On a more basic level, owning a business as an
individual creates a higher level of freedom to create the family life and work
environment desired. Despite this a high number of women do not consider
entrepreneurship as an option due to negative perceptions about their
abilities. Sandberg pointed this out by stating that even in a corporate
environment, women are less likely to speak up due to self-limiting beliefs,
under circumstances that men would act otherwise.
There
are so many women in business today who are breaking bounds with their achievements.
The lives of successful entrepreneurs teach a lot about how to overcome the
fear of failure. Women who believe that they are deserving of success are often
the ones who are most passionate about achieving the success.
In
addition, building a network of strong individuals, particularly entrepreneurs
can provide a confidence boost based on the strength of knowledge derived from
numbers. Another means of eliminating fear is to have clear accountable goals and milestones, as achieving success in smaller goals is often encouraging in light
of the bigger picture.
The
bottom line however, is to feel the fear and do it anyway.
xoxo
The Nines and Prosper Team
xoxo
The Nines and Prosper Team
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